Sapphire Ray's Toy Chest: Lelo Liv2 Review

30 October 2013

Lelo Liv2 Review

Wednesday, October 30, 2013 | With Love ╰☆╮Sapphire Ray╰☆╮ | Edit Post

Thanks to the wonderful folks over at Strawberry Blushes UK I was able to test out the Lelo Liv2 which is a second generation vibe. There was a first edition that was brought out. I had seen them around before but about the time I found the Lelo vibes I liked they started coming out with the 2nd generation so I am glad I waited. If you are in the UK make sure to click on the Strawberry Blushes links if you are in the US please click on the Shevibe links. Strawberry Blushes only has the UK charger and not the US charger,

Thanks goes out to Strawberry Blushes UK for sending me the Lelo Liv2 free of charge in exchange for an honest & unbiased review.

Overview/Design

The Liv2 is known to be a mid sized luxury vibrator that is rechargeable so you don't have to worry about having batteries on hand. There is a slight curve in the shaft which helps it fit the female anatomy better then a straight toy as. Liv2 can be used for G-Spotting as well, uses are almost endless when it comes to him.
Please note though that you don't want to use it internally in the anal cavity since there isn't a flared base. Liv2 likes to tease and please from low vibration settings to higher settings as well as his patterns. You can get Liv2 in a number of colors from Lelo's Cerise, Plum, Lime Green and Deep Blue colors. Some of the perks of Liv2 for me would be that its made out of 100% silicone and ABS plastic meaning its nonporous, rechargeable, easy to use controls, double powered motor, patterns, different speeds and for others the waterproof factor might win you over. I will touch base on all these wonderful things later on in the review. Liv2 is is mainly focused towards those who are female bodied but males can get pleasure out of him too. You don't have to focus on just vaginal penetration with Liv2, you can tease the outer part of the anus, penis shaft, testicles, clit, labias, nipples and so much more.
Lelo Liv2 is great for beginners and intermediate users alike, just because one isn't starting out in the toy world doesn't mean that they won't enjoy the Liv2. Being non intimidating many folks will find him enjoyable, I am not into to super huge toys so this one works just great for me. If you are into deep penetration this might not workout so well for you measuring in at 7 inches long with 4.5 inches of that being insertable. The other 2.5 inches are where you will find the easy to use control pad. The diameter is 1.5 inches which for some could be a bit too thick most of the time anything around 1.5 inches is too big for be I didn't find that with the Liv2.

One cool thing is if you like to travel or you are just worried your toy will get turned on accidentally there is a travel lock mode. How AWESOME is that, so traveling with your Liv2 will be a little easier but he is by far discreet.

What is it Made of?
Lelo Liv2 is made out of silicone and ABS plastic both are nonporous materials. Silicone is nonporous an can have several different densities to it some are hard without any give while some are soft with plenty of give. There is some give to the Liv2 but not much. Being nonporous means that your bodily fluids won't soak into the material of the toy causing bacterial growth that can cause infections. Silicone material can also be sterilized which is a plus is you are sharing your toys with your partners, you don't want to share your toys without the proper care. If sharing make sure you use a condom or sterilize before sharing. ABS plastic is nonporous as well but can't be sterilized the way silicone can. Plastic is usually firm and has no texture. Both materials are latex free, hypoallergenic, nonporous and phthalate free. If you have allergies to certain toy materials you should be safe using these two types of materials.
The Liv2 is smooth with no texture aside from a seam that runs down the middle of the vibrator on both sides of the shaft. Personally, I can't feel the seam while it is inserted but I can see and feel them with my hand. The satin finish over all is smooth, I wouldn't say it has a buttery feeling hence my "satin finish" comment. Sometimes silicone can have a drag to it, luckily with the Liv2 I didn't notice any of that. If you however, experience drag just add some water based silicone and keep going.

Controls & Functions
The controls and functions on the Liv2 are pretty simple and easy to use. When you first get your Liv2 you will want to put it on the charger. Mine came somewhat precharged so it didn't take too long to charge. *Please note I am in the US and since my Liv2 was shipped from the UK I got a UK 220v charger pictured to the right* Most of the chargers for Lelo toys are universal and work with more then one toy. Luckily, I own the Ina2 that has a US charger so I wasn't left with no way to charge up and enjoy my Liv2. Since there was somewhat of a decent charge on my vibrator when it got to me it had a full charge within 30-45 minutes. In the past i have had my Lelo toys charge in an hour or less an last for 2+ hours before dying. Sadly Lelo doesn't include those specs in their user manuals an I think they really should. When you are charging your Liv2 the ring around the control panel lights up white and blinks while charging. Once Liv2 is FULLY charged and ready to go the ring will glow solid and you are ready to remove from the charger for playtime. The charging port is located on the bottom of the vibrator and doesn't have a rubber stopper like many other toys do. This has me leery on the waterproof aspect of the toy.
There are 2 arrows and a (+)/(-) on the round control pad in the middle of the plastic handle these buttons are what you use to turn on/off the Liv2, change the patterns, speed and lock it. To turn on your Lelo Liv2 you will want to push the (+) button for the power to come on you will only need to press it once for it to come on. To increase the speed of the vibration, you will either hit the (+) button until you reach desired vibration speed or hold the (+) button down to reach desired speed. I like all my toys to operate on the HIGHEST vibration setting so I just hold the (+) button down until the power stops increasing.To turn off or decrease the vibration speed you will want to push the (-) button until you reach desired speed or hold it down til desired speed if you hold it down til it stops vibrating you have powered it off. To change through the 8 settings you will want to use the Up & Down buttons the Up button will move you to the next pattern in line to scroll backwards you will want to hit the Down button to go to the previous settings. If you are wanting to travel with your Liv2 and are worried it may accidentally get turned on you can use the travel lock feature. To turn on the travel lock feature you will the (+) & (-) buttons at the same time, hold them down til the ring around the control illuminates white and goes off, the travel lock is now on. You can push buttons and it won't turn on. To turn off the travel lock you will push the (+) & (-) at the same time again hold them down til the ring illuminates the solid white light it won't flash just stay solid, release and you are ready to play.
The Patterns I will explain the best I can-
1.)Steady Vibration
2.)Pulsating at a slow pace
3.)Pulsating at a faster pace
4.)Escalation/Pulsation starts off slow with little vibration then picks up speed and power
5.)Escalation slow to high
6.)High to Low
7.)Pulsation starts at the lowest vibration level to the highest
8.)Just isn't distinct enough to decipher what it is.

In all honesty patterns aren't my thing and they all feel about the same to me or run together and you can't tell the difference between them.
I didn't find the vibrations to be super buzzy but they aren't a deep rumbly type vibration. I wasn't numbed by the vibrations, just wish they were more rumbly though. On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest I would say that the Liv2 falls in at a 4 which is great power. Liv2 is on the quiet side of things, he might be heard over the covers but definitely can't be heard through a closed door. If you are worried someone on the outside of your door might hear you, you can always turn on the T.V. or radio to cover any noise.
When it comes to the waterproof aspect of the Liv2 it can be great for those who like playing in the shower, bath, hot tub, are a squirter. Works out great if you like washing your toys in the sink and you are worried that you will get water where you shouldn't. Personally since there is no way to close off the charger port I am leery of putting my Liv2 into the water. I know on the Lelo site it states to make sure the port is dry and free of water before charging, which to me says its OKAY to get water in the port. I don't take toys to the shower so this isn't a major problem for me however I won't test the waters.

Packaging

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE oh and did I mention LOVE the Lelo packaging. There are 2 different boxes to this there is the outer box that shows pictures of the Lelo Liv2 along with a description of the toy and the contents of the box. It also states the Lelo 1- Year Warranty.
Once you open up the outer box you will find a black sturdy box where you will find the Liv2 resting in a velvet foam holder, to the side you will a smaller compartment with a lid. Open this to find your charger, warranty card, Lelo lube sample, User Manual and the antibacterial storage pouch.
The packaging is great for gifting if you aren't gifting it with the outer box since that one isn't so discreet. The black inner box is discreet til you open it, there is nothing on the box aside from Lelo stamped into but the lettering is also black so it blends in pretty well. Even though there is a storage pouch if you are one who doesn't like using pouches to store your toys you can use this box for storage as well. So far all my Lelo items are in the inner box that they rest in, for me it is easier that way others it might now be. I know boxes can be bulky but it is also good to keep the packaging in case you have to do a warranty claim.

Care & Storage
The Lelo Liv2 is easy to care for, there are many ways to clean it and a few ways to sterilize it. To clean your Liv2 you can do any of the following
*Antibacterial Toy Cleaner-Spray toy and let the cleaner sit for a minute then wipe clean
*Warm Soap & Water-Use a mild antibacterial soap wash they toy thoroughly. Rinse thoroughly an dry before storing.
*Toy Wipes or Baby Wipes-You can use either to clean the toy but it won't sterilize it at all. I usually use wipes as a pre-clean before using a toy cleaner or washing them in the sink.
*10 % Bleach Solution-This is the ONLY way you can sterilize your Liv2.

Since the Liv2 has a motor I don't recommend boiling or placing in the dishwasher as it can damage the motors even though the Liv2 is listed as waterproof.

You have a few options on storing, you can either use the antibacterial toy pouch or the box it comes in. The choice is yours :) I use the box it helps keep everything in one place for me and I am anal when it comes to packaging.

If you need to use a lubricant I would recommend using a water based lube as hybrids or silicone lubes can cause reactions in the material. If you need to use a silicone lube make sure you test it on a small area that won't be inserted. The Lelo site states to contact them as well before using non water based lubricants on their products.

Overall Experience
I had a pretty positive experience with my Liv2, I was able to reach orgasm which is always a plus when it comes to sex toys since that is their purpose right?! While I love toys with deep rumbly vibrations the Liv2 didn't let me down with the semi buzzy vibrations that it packs. I was satisfied with the length even though it was on the shorter side I was still able to stimulate my G-Spot with no issue whatsoever. I love that it charges in less than an hour which is a plus since many other rechargeable toys I own take longer for very little playtime. I was able to get about 2 hours worth of battery life out of my full charge. I enjoy the fact that even though there wasn't a clitoral arm on the Liv2 you can use the tip for clitoral stimulation or pair it with a clitoral vibe you have in your collection. I have the We Vibe Salsa but I heard it was discontinued :( but you can get the We Vibe- Tango which has the same power but doesn't have a pointed tip.

My Liv2 will get plenty of use out of it. I give the Lelo Liv2 5/5!!

Thanks Blush Novelties for sending me the Lelo Liv2 for free in exchange for an honest & unbiased review.

If you are in the UK or another place that has the UK 220v plugs you can click the banner below to order from Strawberry Blushes. All their toys come with the UK charger, if you have other Lelo toys the chargers should with the Liv2.